http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757– Cricket News Update
Despite losing final ODI against hosts South Africa, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 skipper, Brendon McCullum, expressed contentment after his side emerged 2-1 victorious in the three-match ODI series.
The Black Caps narrowly missed out on what would have been the unlikeliest of whitewashes after they needed just one Proteas wicket to register a third successive win. However, a relatively unknown http://www.senore.com/Cricket/R-McLaren-c2232 came to the hosts’ rescue to hit the final
ball of the match for a six to spare his side’s blushes.
Having demolished the tourists in the Test arena, the Proteas were firm favourite to win the limited-overs leg of the tour but suffered uncharacteristic losses at Paarl and Kimberly respectively.
After setting the hosts 209 to win in the first ODI, the home contingent reduced their opponents to 140 for 8 but failed to put the finishing touches as New Zealand emerged victorious by a solitary wicket margin.
The next game again saw the host losing grip after being comfortably placed at 167 for 2 in pursuit of 280. The failure of the middle and lower order to contribute resulted in a 27-run win, further allowing the Black Caps to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead.
With tails up high, the Kiwis entered the final game looking to claim a 3-0 series victory for the first time since 2006-07 season. Despite again coming from behind to assert dominancy after a Graeme Smith’s century laid a perfect platform for the hosts,
the Kiwis were stunned by a last-ball six from McLaren.
Despite the outcome of the final game, McCullum praised the side for showing marked improvement from the beating they suffered in the Test arena.
"It would have been great to win the series 3-0," McCullum said. "But winning the series, achieving what we've achieved in this series and even how we've played today as well, we've showed the characteristics that we want to be known for."
''Our bowlers tried hard all day. The wicket did http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Victor-James-Marks-c95127 on a little bit, and it was probably slightly easier to bat on in that second innings," McCullum said. "But that's the nature of the toss as well and playing in foreign conditions. I can't speak highly
enough of the effort from our guys."
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